Carlos Frate, a 40-year-old officer from Kihei, Hawaii, has been arrested following a federal grand jury indictment. Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced the two-count indictment was returned on January 16, 2025. Frate is scheduled for arraignment in federal court on January 22, 2025.
The indictment accuses Frate of using unreasonable force by tasing an individual without legal justification while serving as an officer of the Maui Police Department. It also alleges that he falsified a police incident report to obstruct the investigation into the use of force.
If found guilty, Frate could face up to ten years in prison for deprivation of civil rights and up to twenty years for filing a false report. The charges are accusations at this stage, and Frate is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Any potential sentence would be determined by a United States District Judge based on statutory sentencing factors and advisory guidelines.
The Maui Police Department initially referred the case to federal authorities. The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Maui Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the case.